Cathay Pacific Lounges

Chek Lap Kok AirportHong Kong1995 – 1998

Most Cathay long-haul flights leave late in the evening, allowing people to do a full day’s work, drive to the airport, have dinner, catch up with paperwork and even take a bath before boarding. To maximise the pleasure of these essentially private rituals, the design draws on conventions of domestic interiors. Territories are organised as a series of one and two-storey volumes and terraces, the masses of dark granite contrasting with the airy lightness of Norman Foster’s roof. Glass, light and water define enclaves within these larger areas, delicately negotiating the key relationships at the heart of the design: between lounge and airport, First and Business Class and passengers who want to work and those who want to relax.